Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez? Everything looks like a Red Bull driver will win the Formula 1 title again. But the outwardly demonstrated harmony in the team could be deceptive.
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen tried hard to take any heat out of the explosive Red Bull duel for the Formula 1 title. “There’s a high level of respect between Max and me,” Perez said after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he edged world champion Verstappen into second place. Since the Mexican had previously won the sprint, he increased the pressure on the Dutchman enormously.
“The fight between the two bulls is going to be really heated,” said the “Gazzetta dello Sport”. The champion is only six points ahead of the challenger, who clearly formulated his goal: “Of course I want to win the title – but Max wants that too.”
And Verstappen in particular is known for not making any compromises. The 25-year-old sees himself as the clear number one. It seems difficult to imagine that Perez would stop him. “Checo has shown really strong performances so far, he feels good and self-confident in the car,” Verstappen nevertheless praised his teammate: “You have to recognize and appreciate what he does.” But it is also Verstappen who formulated such sentences just a few weeks ago: “I’m not here to finish second.”
Fuel in the title fight
Even if both gave a harmonious picture at the Caspian Sea, there is a lot of fuel in the title fight. Verstappen has ignored instructions from the team in the past. In Baku, however, he was unlucky due to an early tire change and lost the top position through no fault of his own.
Perez took full advantage of that, made no mistakes and raced to his second win in four races. The Mexican was “the king of the street circuits”, said “L’Équipe”. Verstappen won the other two Grand Prix. If Perez hadn’t had technical problems in Australia, he might even have been up front.
“We’re going to fight each other as hard as we can but I think with a high level of respect,” said Perez. Their cars are way ahead of the competition, with signs early in the 23-race season that no one else is going to intervene in the championship fight.
Ferrari frustration
“We did everything, tried everything, but the truth is: we’re not fast enough. We just don’t have enough power,” said Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who finished third.
Verstappen knows he and Perez have “the fastest car” but also noted: “It’s about consistency because it’s still a very long season with a lot of different tracks.” The action continues in Miami on Sunday, and then the Red Bulls will also dominate the action. “I don’t think anything will change,” Perez replied when asked if he expected tensions between the pilots.
In Baku, both were able to drive freely. Motorsport consultant Helmut Marko revealed that Perez asked on the radio shortly before the end if he should slow down. Why? So that Verstappen can simply pass by. But (yet) there are no stable orders as has happened in the past. But the scene shows what Perez is afraid of.
Defending champion Verstappen wants to win World Cup number three with performance on the track. But how much risk will Red Bull take? When is intervention necessary? “No risk, no fun,” said Marko with a laugh at Sky. Early in the year he sees no need for action. But at the latest when the world championship leaders overdo it and collide, that should change quickly.
Red Bull with experience
They have experience with such situations in the team. Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber gave each other nothing on and off the track, the negative highlight was an accident in 2010 in Istanbul. Webber was held responsible, Vettel emerged victorious from the situation and then became world champion four times.
At the time, Red Bull, led by team boss Christian Horner, didn’t really handle the power struggle in their own garage with confidence. It will be exciting to see how the rivalry between Verstappen and Perez develops if it stays this close. Both are not considered best friends, but neither are they bad enemies. “Sergio Perez will not get involved in any topic in which he will have to support Verstappen in the future. I am sure of that,” wrote former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock in his Sky column.
Perez no longer wants to be a helper, no number two. “Definitely” the goal is to become champion, he emphasized again. In Azerbaijan he showed with flying colors how to defeat Verstappen. “It was very close between us, we pushed as hard as we could,” said the six-time Grand Prix winner, admitting: “It was really tough, but I was able to keep him under control.” And not many have managed to do that.